Rowan County, KY Shrink-Swell Risk

Shrink-swell potential in Rowan County, KY

Low

Soil across 74% of Rowan County, KY comes back "Low" in USDA's shrink-swell data, averaging 2.33% linear extensibility. That's the easiest starting point on this site's scale - a standard foundation is the reasonable default here, though any one lot can still differ.

What this number does and doesn't tell you

This is a countywide, area-weighted figure across every soil survey map unit in Rowan County, KY - never a reading for one specific parcel. A local geotechnical report, typically $1,000-$5,000 (around $2,700 typical), is the only way to know what one lot in Rowan County will actually do.

Rowan County: the real numbers

Rowan County's soil reading points toward standard foundation practice as the likely outcome, not the exception. A geotechnical report runs $1,000-$5,000, typically around $2,700. Foundation repair, if a specific lot turns out to differ from the county average, runs $5,000-$15,000.

Where this sits nationally

Among the 3,085 rated counties on this site, Rowan County, KY ranks 1,704 most-constrained nationally, and 66 of 120 within Kentucky. Rowan County covers 280 square miles and counts 24,675 residents.

For contrast

Orleans Parish, LA carries this site's most-constrained reading. Crenshaw County, AL and Cavalier County, ND are worth a look for comparison.

How this reading is built, and its real limits · Moisture management: the cheap fix that works on any soil

Elsewhere in Kentucky

Every county in Kentucky is on this site, including Caldwell County, KY and Taylor County, KY. The full underlying dataset is downloadable directly, one row per county.